Somehow
by Lucy Kay
Summary: There was just no way she was walking down that aisle. One-shot. Just nothing fluff for a stuffy day. K Plus. Picture is not mine.


**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any ownership of these characters or setting, and I'm just a helplessly hopeless fanfic writer penning this under fair use. Also, spoilers, I don't want this story to advocate that 'you can't do shit without someone else helping you.' Rather, I wanted this story to be a testament to the shared strength of couples everywhere. As there's no shame in being single, there's no shame in being in a relationship either.

So this is kind of peevish. Shamelessly fluffy. A little useless. Like, this is straight up drivel. But it's something I've been thinking about for awhile, and as I don't have a story to fit it, this kind of happened. It's just an old one-shot I found half finished, polished up a bit, and decided to share. I really love Julius, and Candace is always adorable and fun to write for, so I suppose it's kind of inevitable I would get around to it eventually. I'd like to write a full story for them in the future, but until then – here's this! Hope it lifts a melancholy mood for you.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

It was raining on her wedding day. A nice, spring rain. There was a pleasant patter on all of the shingles of the roofs and upon the cobblestones and stairs all the way up the hill to the church. Bright grey clouds expanded out to the horizon without a spot of blue. Even the ocean seemed dreary, only lapping at the shore in listless waves.

Candace liked rain. It felt appropriate, almost like she was expecting it to happen today. The colorful, pastel umbrellas of half the town filtered into the great double doors to squeeze into the pews. She hadn't expected so many of her fellow villagers to show. The weather was chilly and uninviting, and Candace didn't exactly have the warmest, most popular personality. But perhaps that's where her fiancé made up for what she lacked. She could hardly imagine missing any event of his. Julius was never one to disappoint a crowd.

She brushed at her skirts, not noticing how it was ruffling up the bouquet in her hands. A few scattered petals hit the floor as she peeked out from behind the awning that was set up for the wet weather. As shoots of rain dribbled down the plastic barrier, Candace watched as the farmer and his family passed into the church. And there was the farmer's wife now, rudely snapping her fingers under Candace's nose.

"Candace, what are you doing? The ceremony's about to start! Why isn't your veil on?" Luna asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"Would you?" Candace managed to ask. She hadn't realized she had forgotten about the veil until Luna had pointed it out to her.

Luna smirked and turned to her husband holding the umbrella over their heads. She passed off the little boy in her arms to him and promised to catch up with them as he took their son inside. Kasey gave Candace a friendly wave, and Luna ducked into the little tent to help Candace.

Her baby sister. Luna was always so ready for everything. Even motherhood hadn't phased her. Candace was still a little girl with ribbons in her hair. Even though Luna hadn't lost the flowers in her own, she was all grown up and taking on the world. Candace wasn't her sister. She never was, never would be. How could she be so fearless? All on her own?

What was Candace? Was she ever ready for anything? Surely, she was rushing things. She had only been dating Julius for… about three years. It was much too soon for these kinds of commitments and life and all of it happening _right now_.

There was just no way she was walking down that aisle. Everything was all wrong. Her veil would be left askew since it didn't want to sit quite right, and her shoes were loose around her heels. The dress was way over the top. Her sister had insisted, as a pair of tailors, the dress should be nothing short of the _best_. But it wasn't Candace. She was sweet and quiet and simple. She would be better in an A-line and an easy cut, not this extravagant sweet heart top that was all lace and tulle and ruffles and attention.

It was raining. Weddings were supposed to be sunshine and rainbows. Perhaps a light breeze to compliment the photos. The sky was dreary, and wet umbrellas and their owners were filing into the church to squeeze into the pews. All of the trampling through the rain caused slippery puddles everywhere along the stones, and the carpet aisle was soaked through from muddy boots.

But then again, the rain was rather relaxing. Soothing and soft…

But no, they could just wait for some other time. A better day. A braver day.

Luna chattered happily away as she stood upon her tip toes to pin the veil into Candace's hair and adjust its fluff down and about. She talked about all of the pictures they were going to take afterwards together, and how great the cake was going to taste, and that this was finally the day Candace was at center stage. Nobody on Castanet was as famous as she was this Friday!

Candace could see her hands shaking out of her control, gripping the flowers so tight that the stems were crunching in protest. All of her organs felt painfully twisted up and knotted. She was actively thinking about her breathing, knowing that if she stopped, she'd probably go down mid-aisle.

Her sister came about and stood in front of her. She nitpicked and tweaked the dress that was more of a doily, pulling the skirt down straight and adjusting her left shoulder strap. Luna nodded with confidence, hands on her hips and a winning smile on her lips. "Finished! It'll be time for you to walk when you hear the songs switch. There's a really long pause that feels like forever, so you can't miss it."

"Mmhm," Candace nodded obediently, her teeth clenched so tight that no other sound could escape her mouth.

Luna studied her skeptically, a hint of suspicion penetrating through her stare. "You can do this, Candace. You know that… right?"

Candace nodded again, wishing she could confess her worries to her sister, but she knew it was too late for cold feet now. Maybe some of Luna's unwavering bravery would rub off on her, and Candace would get through the day in one piece.

"It's not the end of the world," Luna added, back to her cheeky, all-knowing grin. She checked the sky with a disappointed expression and turned back to her sister one last time. "Just remember what I said about the song change. Then it's one foot right after the other."

"O-okay…" Candace shakily breathed, hurrying after her sister. Like she could follow her and not be the focus of attention. Just sit in the pew and enjoy the quiet ceremony like everyone else.

"And just think of that cake! Yum~!" Luna giggled, dashing out into the rain and hopping up the steps into the church. And Candace was alone.

Candace looked after her escape, wishing she could do the same. She wanted her sister to see how scared and cornered she felt. That she would be a mind reader like she had been all of those years when they were children. Picking fights and winning her battles for her.

This was supposed to be a happy day. What people look forward to all of their youthful years. But truly – this was the end of her little world. No more twin bed and silly posters on the walls. No more tea with Gramma in the mornings. No more straight to work first thing.

Then again… the Tailor Shop had been rather lonely since Luna had gotten married and moved out. Her room was bigger. Emptier. Candace had gotten used to it. It had taken some time and there were still some melancholy, nostalgic moments, but Gramma and she had been doing just fine. Now it was time for Candace to leave, and the thought of the transition was too scary, too new, too different for her to bear.

Quite the opposite from her, was Candace's fiancé. He meticulously straightened out his cuff and primped his suit's collar. He sent a sassy wave of his fingers to his Aunt Mira who shook her head good-humoredly at him from the front pew. He bounced on his heels, rocking on the balls of his feet and standing pristinely straight, hands woven behind him as he watched the back. Yes. Julius was ready.

Any minute now.

The organist tried again, looking over his shoulder in confusion. Wondering if it was his mistake. But no, as Gill picked up the introductory chords again, the large double doors at the opposite end of the church remained empty but for the pouring rain. Heads turned in the pews to look back in question and bubbling worry.

His aunt was distressed, a hand to her heart as she looked back and forth between the door and Julius' face. Soon, more people picked up the trend and watched, waiting for Julius' expression to change with theirs. All eyes were on him as Gill reluctantly started the march for the fourth time, his fingers hitting the keys harder in case he wasn't playing loud enough.

Julius cleared his throat, holding his fist to his mouth as he broke out into a smile. Taking a deep breath, he tugged at the ends of his suit jacket a final time and stepped down from the altar. At a jaunty pace, he walked down the aisle with the air of someone simply answering a doorbell. Heads turned in waves to watch him go. As he passed his soon-to-be extended family, he ruffled the baby's hair, garnering giggles from the boy. Luna indignantly huffed, going about fixing her son's askew hairdo, and Kasey slapped Julius on the back with a 'go get 'em' nod sent his way.

He eyed the rain falling from above with a hand to his brow as a visor and wrinkled his nose. After a short pause, Julius headed down the stoop and ducked under the awning.

Candace was just as Luna had left her. Lost in her swirling torrents of thoughts, she had a paralyzed expression of fear on her face, wide-eyed and slackened jaw. The only visible movement from her was the slightly rumbling bouquet of flowers, being squeezed so tight between her fists that the lace on her gloves was threatening to tear.

Julius had been expecting something this from his shy fiancée. He hadn't necessarily been prepared to see her so visibly horrified though. Sweeping in, his appearance snapped her into attention. "Candace, darling, are you alright?"

"I-I-I… I'm…!" She stuttered, stepping aside to make room for him to hide from the rain and all of the people in the church. For some reason, Candace wasn't prepared to see him today. She had been so absorbed with her fears that she had forgotten about who the other half of the celebration was reserved for. "I'm fine. Fine…!"

"You're absolutely petrified!" Julius let out a weak laugh, taking her shoulders and inspecting her as she tried to look away. He studied the tent around them and noted its poor furnishings. "There isn't even a chair in here for you?"

"No," Candace shortly answered, taking the opportunity to stare around them.

There was a moment of quiet as Julius stood there still with his hands on her shoulders. Lightening the mood, he blew at his unruly hair, taking a purple lock between his fingers and scowling at it. "Eugh, look what this humidity has done to my hair! Can you believe our luck, that we'd have the rainiest day of the year?"

Candace peered up at him to see, but all she saw was every hair on his head perfectly in place. She ruefully discovered his trick to have her look up, and they made eye contact. Candace was being so selfish and petty, and Julius was still so collected and cheery. His eyes were soft and warm and patient.

He carefully admired a curl at her cheek, framing her face on either side. "Ah, but you're still a picture of sunshine."

"J-Julius…" Candace found herself opening up, spilling out her concerns to his friendly charm. Somewhere along the way, he had become her best friend. It was only natural to confide in him despite fearing a future with him being the problem. "I-I don't know wh-what's wrong with me. I-I'm so s-sorry – I c-can do it. I can d-do this…"

"I know you can, love," Julius chided, tapping her chin up. "You're just full of surprises."

She didn't forget about her worries, but they seemed to melt. They weren't the monsters she thought they were. If anything, they looked like fences to jump. Things to tackle and get over with. Alone, Candace couldn't do it. But with Julius was a different story. He was bright and confident. A success in whatever he chose to do. How could she lose with him by her side?

Staring into his eyes, Candace found tears forming in hers. She felt foolish, but she was still so afraid. Julius pulled her into a hug, and she tightly embraced him in return. Her vision blurred as she looked over his shoulder at the wet, plastic awning, feeling so grateful to be so loved and understood.

"Whenever you're ready, Candace," he promised. As an afterthought, he humorously added: "In fact, I have all day."

She found a laugh breaking her lips into a smile for the first time that day, and she hugged him impossibly closer. When Candace finally let him go, she stared at him head to toe. This was Julius. Despite the garish, maroon tuxedo, he was just like every other day of the year. Right from the designer shoes to that snide smirk.

Julius placed a kiss on her brow, lingering for a moment before he pecked each blushing cheek and the tip of her nose. Candace's eyes fluttered closed, waiting for the lips… but. She opened her eyes and saw Julius grinning cheekily at her.

"I promise – not until the altar. And then I can properly ravish you in front of all of our friends and family!" He shamelessly teased.

"Oh – J-Julius!" She gasped in embarrassment, her face lighting up siren red.

"I jest, my darling!" He chuckled, enjoying her reaction. His face grew serious as he slowly pried her loosening fingers from the bouquet one by one until he had one of her hands intertwined with his own. "This isn't all romantics though. It's a partnership. If you want to do this, I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Every… step?" She tentatively asked, staring at their interlocked fingers.

"Every step," he repeated.

Open chatter had erupted in the church as the villagers made their own speculations of what was going on. Most were convinced Candace had seen her opportunity and took the plaza steps at a run, but others argued that wasn't like the sweet, mousy girl to leave her favorite person hanging. Some debated whether or not Julius and Candace were truly compatible in the first place. Should this have even been a surprise? Their personalities were so glaringly different. It'd never work out.

Luna was anxiously bouncing her son on her knee, eyes fixed on the empty door. She held out the baby to her husband, already starting to rise. "I'm going out there."

"Luna," Kasey warned, pressing a hand to her arm. She glared down at him in warning, but he continued to smile. "She's your sister, but he's my best friend, too. They'll figure it out. Just give them some time."

"It's been so long…" she sighed in defeat, plopping back into her seat and hugging the baby close as his little fingers wound their way into one of her pigtails. "She needs me."

Luna was surprised when she felt her son lifting from her. Kasey took him back into his own lap, holding him firmly with one arm and taking his wife's hand with the other. He kissed the back of it, rubbing circles with his thumb. "Let her do this one on her own."

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she nodded to her husband. He was right… but it was still hard to let go.

Luna sharply turned and gasped, staring out at the rainy plaza. Eventually, all heads turned to see Julius with Candace in tow. Or rather, side by side. Hand in hand.

Candace felt dwarfed by all of the curious stares cast her way, but she looked up at Julius and felt that confident glow giving her strength. He returned her look and smiled, beckoning his head towards the altar. She smiled wide, letting out a happy giggle as she nodded in agreement.

Julius waved his hand over his head, signaling for Gill to pick up the song. He rolled his eyes as the villagers chuckled in relief, spinning around in his seat and poising his hands over the keys. The march begun to blare, and everyone rose from their seats in mass.

_One… right after… the other…_ Candace remembered, placing her right foot forward. Julius gave her hand a squeeze, and she realized she had to slow down. _Slow down!_ Who would have thought? She gave him another look to settle her nerves, and Julius took a deep breath. _Maybe he needed her there, too…_

"This is so cute! Why didn't you do this at our wedding?!" Selena scolded her dim-witted husband as she dreamily watched the passing couple. Luke just chuckled and shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head, slinging an arm around her waist to show he cared.

"Left… right… left…" Luna whispered, watching Julius and Candace make it to the front. Her sister caught her eye and seemed surprised to find Luna openly shedding tears. Luna smiled for her, giving her a proud thumbs up as Kasey squeezed her hand. Candace returned it with a little wave of her bouquet, increasing the happy wave as she passed her Gramma who mouthed 'bless your heart.'

The end of the aisle was before them. Perry opened his book, smiling down at them from the podium. He cleared his throat, the villagers sat, and the ceremony began. Julius' hand never left hers, standing alongside her now and into the rest of their lives.

Somehow she did it. For him. For them. For herself. Somehow…

Rainy days never looked so bright.


End file.
